When Google Search Snippets go Terribly Wrong

A few days ago I was attending a first aid class (for my new driver’s license), when the teacher asked us to Google for common signs of a stroke and what to do when someone is having one.

So I went on my phone and did a logical search for: what to do during a stroke.

The very first result, both on mobile and desktop links to this page: If Someone is Having a Stroke: 3 Things To Do and 3 Things Not To Do.

Some of you probably see what the problem is.

A half of that automatically generated snippet is for what you SHOULD NOT do when someone has a stroke.

  • You should NOT: Let that person go to sleep or talk you out of calling 911;
  • You should NOT: Give them medication, food, or drinks;
  • You should NOT: Drive yourself or someone else to the emergency room.

Considering that we live in the age of #fakenews and alternative facts, having incorrect medical advice at the top of our search results is very worrisome.

How to fight this?

Would a simple meta description solve this issue?

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